Cinema Year Book of Japan 1938 (1938)

Sumiko Kurishima retired from the screen. A veteran actress of the Japanese screen, she gave up her cinema career with the completion of Shu\ujo wa AJani o Wasureta \a (What Did the Ladies Forget?) and announced that she would devote herself to the dance. The Tokyo Hassei (Tokyo Sound Film Company) disassociated itself from the Nikkatsu and signed a contract with the Toho. The total number of cinema spectators during 1936 was announced as 202,650,000 by the Ministry of Home Affairs. * * * * Important films released during April : (domestic) Osa\a AJatsu no /in (The Summer Battle of Osaka, Shochiku) Shu to Midori (Vermilion and Green, Shochiku) Asano Ta\umi no Kami (Nikkatsu) Otto no Teiso (The Husband's Chastity, P.C.L.) (imported) Garden of Allah (U.A.) Rembrandt (U.A.) Three Smart Girls (Universal) Lost Horizon (Columbia) Un Grand Amour de Beethoven (General Production) Le Bonheur (Pathd-Natin) La Belle Equipe (Frys) Nocturno (Mawa-Otsoup, Austria) Primaher (A.B. Film, Czecho-Slovakia) MAY The Regulations for Inspection of MotionPicture Films (Departmental Ordinance of the Home Office) was partially revised. The revised Regulations were promulgated in Ordinance No. 19 on May 24 and became effective on the same day. According to the revised Regulations, the fee for inspection of imported films was raised by 50% (i. e., one and half sen as against the previous one sen) ; fee is exempted on certain specified classes of home productions such as cultural, educational, scientific, documentary films and such recreational films as are recommended by the authorities. Mr. Ichizo ICobayashi resigned his presidency of the Toho Eiga Haikyu Kaisha. The Japan Motion-Picture Association elected its new officers. The Kokusai Gekijo (Shochiku management, for revue and cinema) was opened in Asakusa, Tokyo. * * * * Important fdms released during May : (domestic) Hada\a no Machi (The Naked Street, Nikkatsu) Tabiji (The Journey, Shinko) Kumd no Uta (Song of the Bear, Shinko) Kol{y6 (The Native Country, J.O.) Yoru no Hato (Night Pigeon, J.O.) Ok_u-sama ni Shirasu Bel^ara zu (Don't Let the Madam Know. Shfichiku) Gendai T^ippon (Japanese Life, International Cinema Association) (imported) Fury (M.G.M.) Romeo and Juliet (M.G.M.) Maid of Salem (Paramount) Justin de Marseille (Pathd-Natin) Tagebuch der Geliebten (Tobis-Sascha) JUNE The Daito Eiga launched upon an active programme of sound film production, for which the Kono-tone system (domestic patent) is to be used. The Imai Production came into being in Kyoto. It belongs to thd Toho interests, and specializes in ]idaige\i ; capital 200,000 yen, President, Mr. Risukd Imai. Denjiro Okochi, star of the Nikkatsu Kyoto Studio, entered the J.O. Studio. Shinjitsu Ichiro (Truth, the Only Way), a Nikkatsu production, was exempted of inspection fee, as a particularly wholesome and excellent motion picture. A joint announcement was issued by the Directors’ Association and the Writers’ Association for the ultimate purpose of securing copyrights on cinema scenarios. Minoru Miki, cameraman of T^aniwa Elegy and Gion no Kyodai, was awarded recognition by the Technicians’ Association. The three associations, respectively of directors, scenariowriters and cameramen, were united into one organization. Mr. Minoru Murata, one of the veteran directors, died on May 26. In the days of silent films he produced masterpieces like Seisa\u no Tsuma (Seisaku’s Wife), Machi no T ejinashi (Street Juggler) and Kaijin (Ashes) ; of his talkie productions, M ute\i (Flute in the Mist) is the best. The last piece he directed was Sa\ura no Sono (The Cherry Orchard, Shinko). * * * * Important films released during June: (domestic) Shinjitsu Ichiro (Truth, the Only Way, Nikkatsu) Miyamoto Musashi (Nikkatsu) Yoshida Goten (Yoshida Mansion Shinko) A i-En-Kyd (The Valley of Love and Sorrow, Shinko) (imported) Marked Woman (W.N.) You Only Live Once (U.A.) Ladies in Love (2oth-Fox) As You Like It (London-Film) Swing High, Swing Low (Paramount) Marysa (Monopolfilm, Czecho-Slovakia) JULY The number of films released during the first half of 1937 amounted to 445 — 1 63 Japanese, 282 foreign. The Sino-Japanese Conflict broke out. The Dai Nippon Cocco Yushitsu Eiga Seisakusho was established: Office, Sunamoto Building, Yuraku-cho. Kojimachi-ku, Tokyo; representative, Mr. Takeo Ogasawara. Affiliated with the Tobis Company, Germany, it specializes in producing films for export purposes ; its personnel includes Richard Angst, cameraman, W. Loe Bargier, director. The Exchange Control Section of the Exchange Bureau, Ministry of Finance, invited importers and distributors of foreign films and advised them to diminish the quantity of import. Mr. Haruo Kondo (General Secretary of the International Cinema Association) attended, as observer, the International Cinema Conference in Paris. Kojo no Tsu\i (The Moon Over the Ruins), Poterie Japonaise and L'Art Japonaise des Fleurs were exhibited publicly in Paris. Mr. Robert Florey, Paramount director, came to Japan. Cinema companies began formulating plans for producing military movies, a reflection of the Sino-Japanese situation. » * * * Important films released during July: (domestic) Koi mo Wasurete (Even Forgetting Love, Shochiku) Kon’ya\u Sanba Karasu (The Engaged Three, Shochiku) Tsjanpu Satsuma Uta (Shinko) T^adare (Avalanche, P.C.L.) T o\aido wa Js[ippon-Bare (All Clear in the Tokai Skies, J.O.) Cha^iri Kinta (P.C.L.l 59